Louise Glyde and partner enjoyed the homely atmosphere and superb food at the award-winning Bakers Arms, Droxford

THE Bakers Arms is not a pub you would necessarily stumble upon by accident, but it is well worth the effort to seek it out.

On first entering we were greeted with the ensemble of second hand leather sofas and mis-matched wooden tables and chairs that immediately created a homely and welcoming feel.

We decided to have a pre-dinner drink and my other half took the opportunity to try a pint of local ale he hadn't before in the guise of Wallops Wood, from Droxford-based brewery Bowman Ales.

The Bakers Arms also has another Bowman ale on tap, Swift One, and Moondance from the Triple F Brewery in Four Marks. Lagers include Fosters and Kronenbourg.

The pub's dedication to the culinary delights Hampshire has to offer was also very clear, with seasonal food sourced from the surrounding areas.

The Bakers Arms is run by Adam Cordery, who is also the chef, and his partner Anna Thompson, charming hostess, who took over a year ago.

Since then they have completely refurbished this country pub which is the heart of the community, and won a Dining Pub of the Year Award purely on the recommendation of customers.

It was not hard to see why when the food arrived.

For my starter I had roasted flat cap mushroom with cherry tomatoes, feta and pesto, which could also have been ordered as a vegetarian main course.

My dining partner tried the goat's cheese and onion tart with salad and pickled beetroot.

Both dishes were beautifully presented and just right in portion size.

For my part I could really taste the freshness of the ingredients and very much appreciated what I thought was freshly made pesto.

My other half said of his starter that he was pleased to see beetroot on the menu, as he thought it was a very underused vegetable.

Our main courses swiftly followed and I had chargrilled chicken breast with quinoa, tomato and coriander salsa with fresh vegetables, and my companion had slow cooked crispy duck leg, roasted shallots and saute potatoes.

I was delighted when my dish came out because I thought, for once, I had found a dish that was really as healthy as it sounded, tasted fantastic and was satisfying.

My opposite number remarked how the meat came away from the bone with hardly any effort, and it was well complemented by the bite-size sauté potatoes, roast shallots and other seasonal vegetables.

For dessert, my fellow food taster had the chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream, the best he had ever had, he exclaimed, because it was so light, and I had the lemon tart which had a perfectly refreshing tang to it that cleansed the palate nicely.

We rounded the evening off with a coffee for him and a cup of soothing and smooth organic mint melange for her.

Our meal, including drinks, came to around £55.